Improving Communication Styles in a Library Setting

Introduction: Factors That Shape Communication

Factors that affect an individual's communication style are associated with personality type, culture, age, gender, socioeconomic background, education, and emotional and social intelligence (Cherry, Fletcher, & O'Sullivan, 2013). In a library setting, understanding how these factors can impact the way that patrons and librarians interact with one another — as well as how librarians communicate with co-workers and managers — is essential to maximizing quality communication. This paper discusses these factors and presents ways to improve communication in a library setting by developing social and emotional intelligence skills, which help individuals perceive cultural, socioeconomic, gender, age, and educational differences in those with whom they communicate and adjust accordingly.

Empathy and Emotional Intelligence in Communication

As Garcia, Bautista, Venereo et al. (2013) point out, "training in empathetic skills" improves the way that individuals communicate (p. 1413). Empathy means understanding, and it can be achieved by putting oneself in another's shoes — by identifying the hardships, motivations, and needs of others, realizing how they must feel and think, and adjusting one's own behavior to demonstrate that understanding. It is a method of conveying solidarity, union, and closeness, and in turn it helps to facilitate an effective communications strategy.

Empathy can be achieved by listening without judging and by recognizing opportunities where one may assist another. Key to this is one's ability to achieve emotional intelligence. By assessing the emotional cues of the other person, one can determine how best to approach that individual so as to express understanding and provide satisfaction. Effective communication results in both parties feeling that ideas have been exchanged sufficiently, that each person has been heard, understood, and accepted, and that rapport has been established (Adil & Kamal, 2012).

The Role of Culture, Language, and Knowledge Anxiety

In order to cultivate empathetic attitudes and skillful application of emotional and social intelligence, it is helpful to identify an individual's background — educational, cultural, and socioeconomic — so as to understand how that individual is likely to hold ideas and what his or her worldview most likely consists of. Socialization factors that extend from one's background include the ability to communicate in more than one language, or the difficulties one might have if one is not a native speaker of the language being used. Understanding how emotional intelligence traits can impact language anxiety is a positive step forward in communicating more effectively (Dewaele, Petrides, & Furnham, 2008).

In a library setting, where many diverse patrons and workers are likely to be gathered in one location, having a sense not only of language anxiety but also of knowledge anxiety is valuable. Patrons who need information on subjects about which they know little are likely to express this uncertainty, as are those who have little experience using library facilities. Recognizing and responding to both forms of anxiety can effectively boost one's communication skills and the quality of service provided.

Conclusion

Communication is a key part of conducting business, developing relationships, and coordinating with others. Factors that affect how individuals communicate are as diverse as people themselves — including gender, age, culture, socioeconomic status, and education. The key to improving one's communication skills is to be aware of these factors and to use social and emotional intelligence to identify a person's background and adjust one's communicative approach accordingly. Following up with individuals demonstrates that exchanges are not one-off interactions but part of ongoing relationship-building efforts rooted in service, commitment, and the mutual meeting of needs.

References

Adil, A., & Kamal, A. (2012). Role of display rule demands and affective traits in emotional exhaustion among customer services. Pakistan Journal of Psychological Research, 27(1), 1–20.

Cherry, M., Fletcher, I., & O'Sullivan, H. (2013). Exploring the relationships among attachment, emotional intelligence and communication. Medical Education, 47(3), 317–325.

Dewaele, J., Petrides, K., & Furnham, A. (2008). Effects of trait emotional intelligence and sociobiographical variables on communicative anxiety and foreign language anxiety among adult multilinguals: A review and empirical investigation. Language Learning, 58(4), 911–960.

Garcia, D., Bautista, O., & Venereo, L. (2013). Training in empathetic skills improves the patient-physician relationship during the first consultation in a fertility clinic. Fertility and Sterility, 99(5), 1413–1418.

Jordan, J., McRorie, M., & Ewing, C. (2010). Gender differences in the role of emotional intelligence during the primary-secondary school transition. Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties, 15(1), 37–47.

Wang, C. (2008). Gender differences in responding to sad emotional appeal: A moderated mediation explanation. Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing, 19(1), 55–70.